Episode #1063: In this episode of the Arete Coach Podcast, Severin Sorensen reviews and discusses the current Ukraine-Russia armed conflict. Severin explores the current war in Ukraine, the historical background of Ukraine and Russia relations, NATO, rest-of-world support for Ukraine, and likely retaliation action by Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Severin also examines prescient executive coaching topics that are increasingly vital for business leaders to review in light of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. About Severin Sorensen Severin Sorensen is a serial entrepreneur and lifetime learner with a passionate curiosity for people and businesses. Severin is the CEO of ePraxis LLC, a premier level retained search firm that provides executive headhunting, talent selection, and executive coaching. In addition to finding top talent, Severin has provided over 7,500+ hours of paid executive coaching to entrepreneurs, CEOs, Presidents, and C-level executives. Severin is an ICF ACSTH Certified Executive Coach, Certified Organizational Development Coach, Certified Life Coach, and Certified Positive Intelligence® Coach. Severin is the founder/producer of a new podcast, Arete Coach, that explores the art and science of executive coaching with some of the industry's best coaches. From 2010-2018 Severin was also a Vistage Chair where he coached three CEO and key executive groups. In 2011, Severin received the "Rookie of the Year Chair Award" from Vistage. Since 2013, Severin has added international speaking for Vistage, CEO conferences, executive peer groups, and corporations on the topic of identifying and hiring difference-making top talent. After graduate school, Severin moved to Washington, DC, where he worked on security-related economic and public policy issues that included a brief stint in The White House, as a Special Assistant to the President, for George H. Bush (POTUS 41). In 1994, Severin founded Sparta Consulting Corp., and Sparta provided world-class physical security and safety related management consulting services for public and private sector entities. From 1994-2002, Severin managed HUD's Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design technical assistance and training program. In 2005, Severin sold Sparta to Westec Interactive (Digital Witness), which was subsequently acquired by Interface Security. Severin, a native Californian, grew up in Salt Lake City, UT and graduated with honors from the University of Utah with Economics and Political Science degrees. He completed graduate studies in economics at King's College, Cambridge University (England), where he earned a M.Phil. degree in Economics. Severin has a great love and appreciation for sports, and while overseas, Severin rowed for the King's College Boat Club, and played basketball for the Cambridge University Basketball Team (1986-87). Key highlights Severin’s experience in the USSR and Russia Timestamp 03:00 Severin offers valuable insight from his experience as an undergraduate visiting the USSR. He shares two stories of his experience with Russian and USSR locals that gave him a deeper look into the lives and culture of the area. In his first experience, he is shown the western desires of “Communist Party Children” and states that “what was public and what was private, were completely different.” His second experience came from an invitation into the home of some Russian citizens. These citizens showed him their efforts to keep their freedoms in the form of rescuing and reprinting literature banned by Russia. They also showed Severin the differences in state-sponsored media versus media from outside of Russia. Severin states that he “observed there were many good Russian people who loved life and wanted democracy, and though their freedom of expression was greatly limited inside the USSR, I wondered how much longer this would last.” History behind the war Timestamp 10:00 Severin reviews a “contemporaneous history prepared by the U.S. Department of State” which overviews the relationship between Ukraine and Russia in history and today. Severin also dives into the history and story of Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President. He shares Putin’s rise to power and explains perspectives on Putin’s motives for invading Ukraine today. Considerations for business leaders and executive coaches Timestamp 20:22 Severin explains that “the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia are likely to have a dramatic impact on businesses and households everywhere.” He shares that Putin has two viable retaliation strategies: oil supply disruptions and cyber warfare. In light of these potential challenges, Severin encourages business leaders and executive coaches to be aware of potential cyber warfare strategies. Avoiding cyber warfare Timestamp 24:12 Severin offers several key strategies for keeping businesses and executive coaches safe from the consequences of cyber warfare. These strategies include having a privacy screen protector when traveling, installing virus protection software, updating software, using complex passwords, and other tips for avoiding cyber warfare and unnecessary financial loss. A call to action Timestamp 17:04 Everyone has a role to play in supporting the Ukrainian people during their invasion by Russian forces. Severin shares several ways that professionals from a variety of careers can support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom. In closing, he pays tribute to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, and shares several powerful quotes from his time in leadership. Download the transcript Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Starting a powerful conversation can be challenging for both coach and coachee. Using a conversation fire starter can help set the session tone, open the mind, and get the creative juices flowing. TED Talks can be used as fire starters to help raise key issues for discussion in the coaching conversation. TED Talks have been a valuable source of information for business leaders, lifetime learners, and executive coaches since its establishment in 1984 (TED, n.d.). TED Talks provides listeners with presentations and ideas from entrepreneurs, executive coaches, business leaders, scientists, researchers, doctors, psychologists, and individuals from every age, demographic, and race. The wide net of discussion, ideas, and information provided by TED Talks is a valuable resource for today’s executive coaches. Because of the vast knowledge available through TED Talks, the top TED Talks as identified in TED Talk-created playlists and TED Talks’ top 2021 presentations have been aggregated for your review. By mining the most significant TED Talks, high-impact and valuable data that could address your executive coaching needs and the needs of those you coach are nearly guaranteed to be found. Top TED Talks of 2021 2021 was a tumultuous year for the executive coach and business leader alike. Executives were tasked with managing the impact of COVID-19, hiring challenges, and the new work-from-home revolution. Many executives worked with their executive coaches in brainstorming new ideas, solutions, and strategies for overcoming these new challenges, changes, and business hurdles. From TED Talks’ list of top presentations in 2021, the following are most congruent with the challenges, roles, and needs of executive coaches and business leaders today. Adam Grant: How to stop languishing and start finding flow Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, shares his experience with the feeling of languishing. He shares how the “acute anguish” of COVID-19 gave way to “chronic languish.” He explains that languishing has been around before the pandemic, and explains why he believes “flow” is a key cure to languishing. Adam defines flow as “mastery, mindfulness, and mattering” and discusses how incorporating flow into the workplace is important for business leaders’ and employee well-being. Current research points to an overall decline in public mental health with symptoms like depression and anxiety as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (Clifton, 2021). Adam Grant, in his presentation and article, associates these mental health challenges with increased feelings of languishing during the pandemic lockdowns and changes. When executive coaches are aware, not only of the mental health challenges during the pandemic but also the potential for feelings of languishing, they can better identify when their clients are facing these challenges and ask questions congruent to these issues. Furthermore, executive coaches can also inform their clients of Adam Grant’s theory of “flow” while also brainstorming, questioning, and discussing how this information can help the business leaders they coach. Julia Dhar: How to have constructive conversations The changes COVID-19 has brought to the marketplace have spurred many discussions on work-from-home, inflation, the great resignation, and vaccination policies. These discussions can be difficult and involve a multitude of different ideas, perspectives, and beliefs. In this TED Talk, Julia Dhar reviews how to have constructive conversations despite differing beliefs or ideas. She shares constructive conversations between parties with vast differences in opinions and ideas including three factors. First, “at least one party in the conversation is willing to curiosity over clash.” Secondly, see constructive conversation as “a climbing wall, not a cage fight.” By seeing constructive conversations as a “climbing wall,” both parties can continue to develop, formulate, change and/or strengthen their perspectives for future discussions. Lastly, a constructive conversation is “rooted in purpose.” When a purpose for a discussion is understood by both parties can “lay out their vision for the future” and accomplish intentional identified goals together. Discussions on how to manage the changes brought by COVID-19 will continue to evolve; as will the discussion on vaccine mandates, mental health, work-from-home, the great resignation, supply chain challenges, and other various topics. It is important that executive coaches know how to navigate these discussions with skill and tact when brainstorming with executives, fellow coaches, and peer advisory groups. By understanding how to have constructive conversations in the midst of differing perspectives, executive coaches can embrace curiosity, develop their arguments, and discuss various topics with a unified purpose. Christine Carter: The 1-minute secret to forming a new habit Executive coaches often work with their clients to make new goals and habits. However, it can be difficult to start and continue new habits such as being more mindful or exercising more. Sociologist Christine Carter addresses this difficulty in her TED Talk. She believes that in order to be successful when forming a new habit, individuals must have a “willingness to be bad” at the new behavior. She states that “being good requires that our effort and our motivation be in proportion to each other. The harder something is for us to do, the more motivation we need to do that thing… New behaviors tend to require a lot of effort because change is really hard.” Christine recommends that in order to establish new habits, individuals should “abandon their grand plans at least temporarily” and be okay with doing something “minuscule” towards a goal or new habit. By compartmentalizing big goals into small tasks that are easy, Christine points out that you are “initiating a behavior” or habit that establishes a neural pathway in the brain for a “new habit which makes it much more likely that we'll succeed with something more ambitious down the line.” And from there, habits can expand “organically.” Working towards goals, changing perspectives, and creating new habits is a common topic for executive coaches to discuss with the business leaders they coach. By understanding how to go from point A: having an overall goal, to point B: making it a new habit, executive coaches can further support the impact and goal/habit development in their clients’ lives. Christine’s advice can be used in the executive coaching process through questions such as, “how can we break this goal down into bite-sized pieces?” and “what small effort can you commit to every day as you work towards this goal?” Dr. Emkly Nagosky and Dr. Amelia Nagosky: The cure for burnout (hint: it isn't self-care) Dr. Emily Nagosky and Dr. Amelia Nagosky have an insightful discussion on their own experience of burnout and what burnout really is. They discuss stress, stressors, physiological responses, the objects of our stress, and the stress response cycle. They also discuss burnout in the workplace and how this affects the body. In their discussion, they recommend having compassion on your own emotions and reducing stress responses through various techniques. They also answer questions from the audience about bringing mental issues to managers. Dr. Emily and Dr. Amelia claim that the cure to burnout is not self-care but instead, (i) having others around you who care, and (ii) and living in communities who care for each other. This information is vital for executive coaches to understand and discuss with the business leaders and executives they serve. As burnout continues to be a hot-button topic amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the continual changes in the workplace, business leaders are looking for ways to not only address their own feelings of burnout but prevent the feelings of burnout in their employees. Executive coaches can also use the information provided in this TED Talk as a source of insight on how to tackle their own feelings of burnout. 25 Most Popular TED Talks of All Time Several TED Talks have made their mark in the TED Talk and academic communities. TED Talks released a list of their top 25 Most Popular TED Talks of All Time. From this list, we have mined the following articles that we believe are most tangent to the executive coach and business leaders today. Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability Brene Brown has studied shame, connection, and vulnerability for years. In her research, she found that those who felt that they were worthy of love and belonging were courageous about being imperfect. “They had the compassion to be kind to themselves and then to others first,” “they had connection as a result of authenticity,” and “they fully embraced vulnerability.” Individuals who were courageous enough to live with vulnerability were individuals who have a sense of connection with others and a sense of belonging. A recurring theme on the Arete Coach podcast has been the theme of executive coaches being themselves, abandoning imposter syndrome, and showing up to executive coaching sessions with their genuine self. Don Meyers in Episode #1034 of the Arete Coach Podcast references his desire for self-authenticity in his coaching when he states, “I’ve been sorting myself out now since 1988, so I hope I'm being a whole lot more authentic than I was back then.” Garth Jackson in Episode #1040 of the Arete Coach Podcast also references his authentic vulnerability when he states, “Now what I realize is, really what people want is the authentic Garth. So, I work very hard to show up as the authentic Garth. When I say, work very hard, get rid of all that stuff around how I believe I ought to appear to others and really just show up and be me and allow people to judge that for what it is.” When executive coaches embrace vulnerability and display their genuine and truest selves, they increase their ability to make unique and deeper connections with their clients that foster greater learning and development. Julian Treasure: How to speak so that people want to listen Julian Treasure reminds the audience of the power words have in conversation and outlines seven things to avoid if you want people to listen. These seven things include gossiping, judging, negativity, complaining, excuse-making, exaggeration, and dogmatism or the confusion of facts and opinions. He also suggests four “cornerstones” for powerful speech: honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love. Furthermore, Julian reviews several tools and warmups that speakers can use to captivate audiences. Executive coaches do their work through discussion and speech. The words and the way they present their words have a great impact on their clients, business leaders, and executives. Being able to speak with honesty, authenticity, integrity, and love for those a coach is leading makes discussion and communication more genuine, interesting, and impactful for their clients. Using the tools discussed by Julian can help coaches properly ask their questions with the correct inflation, tone, and timing. "How To Be a Great Leader" TED Talks Playlist From the TED Talks playlist, “How to Be a Great Leader,” the following presentations have been selected because of their significance to the executive coaches and business leaders of today. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action This famous TED Talk has been viewed over 57 million times and comes from the author of the best-selling book “Start With Why,” by Simon Sinek. In Simon’s presentation, he reviews several companies and leaders who started with “why” such as Apple and the Wright Brothers. Simon claims that when leaders start with a “why” for their business, idea, or creation, they are more likely to succeed. He uses a diagram he calls the “golden circle” to represent the succession of “why,” “how,” and “what” that business leaders should embody for optimal success. According to Simon Sinek and his research, when businesses start with a “why” they are more successful and impactful. In each episode of the Arete Coach Podcast, guests are asked what their “why” is. Having a “why” is essential to being a great coach. This “why” pushes coaches to learn more, develop their coaching methods more, and impact those they coach despite challenges and hardship. Fields Wicker-Miurin: Learning from leadership's missing manual Fields Wicker-Miurin shares the story of Benki, a leader of the Ashaninka Nation. Benki worked hard to defend his land against deforestation and continue the legacy of the Ashaninka Nation. His leadership was passed onto him by his grandfather when he was 10 years old. Despite his young age, Benki was a great leader for his people embracing change and working towards the resolution of the challenges facing his people. She also shares a story of a woman named Sanghamitra in India who changed her career to helping those with HIV/AIDs. Sanghamitra changed the traditional strategy for fighting HIV/AIDs and has since run the leading NGO in India. Wicker-Miurin also shares the story of Dr. Fan Jianchuan, a collector of contemporary Chinese history. She explains that these people are leaders who inspire her. They did not have access to leadership manuals but they all have “drive, passion, [and] commitment. They've gone away from what they did before, and they've gone to something they didn't know…” She emphasizes that we can use people like those she discusses in her presentation as models, helping the next generation of leaders change the world for the better. A key feature of a skilled executive coach is the commitment to being a lifelong learner. This TED Talk reminds us that executive coaches can embrace lifelong learning not only by involving themselves in new training courses and research but also by examining leaders of today and of the past for inspiration and insight. Drew Dudley: Everyday leadership Drew Dudley explains the importance of everyday leadership in his TED Talk presentation. He shares the impact that he unknowingly had on someone else’s life. Drew claims that leadership should be redefined as what he calls “lollipop moments” or daily moments where you have the opportunity to impact others’ lives for the good. Executive coaches can harness the power of these everyday leadership moments and increase their impact on the lives of those they coach. They can also encourage their coachees to embrace this form of leadership as well. By choosing to make seemingly small but positive and highly influential impacts on others’ lives every day, both executive coaches and the clients they serve can work towards achieving their goals and impacting the world around them. Roselinde Torres: What it takes to be a great leader Roselinde Torres shares that although companies globally are investing more time and money into leadership development, many companies are still suffering the effects of poor leadership. In researching what makes a leader great in the 21st century, she found that “relying on traditional development practices will stunt your growth as a leader.” She states that leadership in the 21st century is defined by three questions. First, “where are you looking to anticipate the next change to your business model or your life?” Secondly, “what is the diversity measure of your personal and professional stakeholder network?” Lastly, “are you courageous enough to abandon a practice that has made you successful in the past?” She summarizes by stating that great leaders of the 21st century prepare for the “realities of today” and the “unknown possibilities of tomorrow.” Roselinde Torres’ presentation offers a wealth of powerful questions that executive coaches can ask their clients. Often, a goal within executive coaching is the development of leadership skills. By asking these questions, executive coaches can help their clients develop leadership skills congruent with the 21st-century workplace. Tim Harford: Trial, error, and the god complex Tim Harford shares the story of Archie Cochrane and how his story is an example of what he calls the “god complex.” Tim describes the “god complex” as the assumption that one understands everything. However, Tim points out that the world, marketplace, and economy that we live in is much too complicated for the “god complex” to be helpful. In this presentation, Tim emphasizes the importance of trial and error as a source of valuable knowledge. This TED Talk is a reminder to executive coaches and business leaders alike about the importance of failure. Often in the Arete Coach Podcast, interviewees are asked what a failure they have learned from is. Each of these responses has represented a unique learning that has impacted the lives of the great coaches on the Arete Coach Podcast. Sometimes executives and business leaders bring their failures to executive coaches, looking for guidance or advice. However, it is the role of an executive coach to ask the question “what can you learn from this failure?” and “how can you use what you have learned in the future?” By reminding business leaders of the value of failures, or trial and error, executive coaches ensure that their clients are not missing out on opportunities for growth and development. David Logan: Tribal leadership In his TED Talk presentation, David Logan reviews the five types of tribes, or people groups, and the value systems of each tribe. He explains how tribes that function on level five, function only on their values and a noble cause and gives an example of a level five tribe that made a great historical impact on society. After reviewing each level of tribe, David shares examples of leaders who spoke to all levels of tribes and shares the importance of being able to do so. He also discusses how leaders can help their communities and organizations advance to greater tribal levels. The information presented in David Logan’s TED Talk is invaluable to the executive coach because it is an example of how executive coaches can encourage their clients to higher levels of thought or tribal levels as described by David. It also encourages executive coaches to ponder how they are supporting the tribes or groups around them. Stanley McChrystal: Listen, learn ... then lead Four-star general Stanley McChrystal shares his experiences and lessons of leadership from his time in the military. He shares the impact that virtual communication and generational differences have had on those he has led and the way he leads others. Stanley emphasizes the importance of listening and learning from others before leading. This TED Talk is a great source of knowledge for executive coaches who are helping their clients develop their leadership skills. Executive coaches can use the concepts and examples that Stanley provides in his presentation to educate and inspire their clients towards more effective leadership methods. This presentation encourages coaches to ask their clients, “do you believe listening is an important part of leadership? If so, how do you listen to your employees?” John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding Former UCLA basketball coach shares in this TED Talk an insightful difference between winning and succeeding. While John was a basketball coach, his insight and perspective are still valuable to today’s executive coaches. Instead of focusing solely on winning basketball games, John focused on the attitude of his players and if they truly did their best. John shares a quote in his presentation that states, “Thou didst thy best, that is success." As executive coaches encourage their clients to develop and achieve new goals it is important for them to remember what success really is: trying your best. They can use this lesson and these words from John Wooden as a source of encouragement and inspiration for their coaching clients. Main takeaway TED Talks offers executive coaches a unique platform of knowledge from many individuals in a variety of different industries. Executive coaches can use this platform to help start discussions on others’ success and insights, ultimately accelerating their own clients’ success. Jim Rohn is quoted as saying, “It’s important to learn from your mistakes, but it is better to learn from other people’s mistakes, and it is best to learn from other people’s successes. It accelerates your own success.” What are your favorite TED Talks? We'd love to know! Share them below. References Clifton, J. (2021, December 3). The Next Global Pandemic: Mental Health. Gallup.Com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/357710/next-global-pandemic-mental-health.aspx. TED. (n.d.-a). How to be a great leader. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/playlists/140/how_leaders_inspire. TED. (n.d.-b). The most popular talks of all time. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/playlists/171/the_most_popular_talks_of_all. TED. (2021). The most popular of 2021. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/playlists/805/the_most_popular_ted_talks_of_2021. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1064: Join Kevin Rafferty, an Executive Coach, Life Coach, Speaker, Peer Group Leader, Author, and member of the Conscious Leadership Guild as he discusses the great resignation and how it can be addressed with conscious capitalism and leadership. In this episode, we also dive into Kevin’s journey to executive coaching from his time in corporate America, the importance and impact of authentic leadership, the purpose of business according to Peter Drucker (whom Kevin had as a professor), and servant leadership. About Kevin Rafferty Kevin Rafferty is an Executive Coach, Life Coach, Speaker, Peer Group Leader, Author, and member of the Conscious Leadership Guild. Kevin has held several executive positions including CEO, VP, Founder and President. He received his MBA from the Drucker School of Management and uses his education and experience in corporate America as a source of insight for his coaching and speaking. Kevin leads a peer group out of Orange County, California and offers executive and life coaching sessions. In his coaching, he uses his program entitled The Authentic Leaders Coaching and Leadership Development Program, where he blends the best of executive coaching with the power of personal authenticity. He developed the Authentic Leaders Elite Leadership Formula—a 12-step process that helps leaders become more self-aware and authentic. Kevin also provides life coaching using his book, Wake Up, Get Real, Be Happy: Becoming Your Authentic Self. In his role as a Conscious Leaders Coach, Kevin hosts speaking engagements to help others live more conscious and authentic lives, and improve their leadership skills. Key highlights The meaning of conscious capitalism Timestamp 03:12 Kevin shares his insight on conscious capitalism and the organization called Conscious Capitalism. He shares how conscious capitalism has elevated “what they call the heroic aspect of leadership” moving from the current business model to a model that is more “people oriented.” He shares that the purpose of a business extends “beyond just making profits” and discusses the importance of conscious leadership and cultures. Discovering the internal work Timestamp 13:41 Kevin has a passion for helping business leaders do the internal work and dive deeper into their own self-awareness. He explains that his learning about the importance of self-awareness and introspection stems from his learning that although he had achieved all his goals, he still wasn’t happy. He shares that “about 40 years ago maybe, I started really doing some deeper dives as to why am I here? Who am I? And I’ve gone through some very, very different evolutionary points along that journey.” However, Kevin had always kept that separate from his coaching until a coach taught him about the importance of showing up as his “whole person.” Developing self-awareness Timestamp 22:33 Kevin has been coaching some of his clients for 18 years. He explains that his coaching with these clients is “more like staying on track with their philosophy about life and being the kind of a person and leader they want to be.” In his coaching, he focuses on three things: self-awareness, internal work, and creating a corporate culture. In each of these categories, Kevin helps his clients develop their leadership skills and businesses. In doing this, he helps not only business leaders, but also their employees, ultimately providing a “higher and greater service” to his clients. The two types of listening Timestamp 28:06 Kevin shares that there are two main types of listening. The first is “being quite long enough and waiting for them to shut up, so you can actually ask the next question or make that statement.” The second is “more body, heart, mind, spirit, listening.” Kevin explains that to do this you have to “move beyond that boulder of needing to be the smartest” in the room. In coaching, Kevin sees it as his job to “get them to a place where they’re “authentic self sees the situation clearly and they come up with their best solution.” He uses the second form of listening, that is attentive and insightful, to help his clients do the “heavy lifting” to solve their challenges. Staying present Timestamp 37:04 When asked about a learning that Kevin has had that others might not have yet learned, Kevin shares the importance and the power of staying present. He states that he learned the “power of being present, as fully present in this moment with the richness of being present without needing to do anything or say anything, just to be fully here.” With this learning, he has also lost his “addiction and attachment to expectation.” He applies this insight to parenting and states that he has learned to “get out of the way, get stuff out of the way, and be present.” In response, Severin shares a story about his own realization of expectations and parenting. Insight’s from Peter Drucker’s School of Business Timestamp 43:49 Kevin shares quotes, insights, and experience from his time learning from Peter Drucker at his School of Business. One experience he had with Peter was when he asked his class what the purpose of business was. While many students came up with answers, none had the answer Peter was looking for. Peter Drucker then stated that, “the function of a business is in the training and development of human beings.” Kevin also shares what it was like to be in Peter Drucker’s class and how his insights impacted him. Being the ghostwriter Timestamp 49:10 When asked about the “most powerful question” he has ever asked as an executive coach, Kevin shares the question: “Are you truly interested, open, ready to direct your own transformation.” He explains that for his coaching clients, he serves them as a ghostwriter would an author. The author does the majority of the work, the ghostwriter is a supporting member of the team. Kevin encourages his clients to invest in themselves and “do what’s necessary” to make the changes they want to make. Download the transcript Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1065: A recent American Psychological Association study found that over 80% of Americans are experiencing stress from multiple sources. In this episode of the Arete Coach Podcast, host Severin Sorensen is joined by Sally Rhoads, LCSW and Carolynn Lee, LCSW to discuss the heightened feelings of stress people are experiencing from the effects of COVID-19, financial challenges, and global unrest. Tune into this episode for an overview of current research regarding stress, helpful tips for managing stress, and suggestions for executive coaches, business coaches, and life coaches on how to help clients mitigate stresses they may be experiencing. About Sally Rhoads, LCSW Sally Rhoads is a licensed clinical social worker and executive coach out of Lexington, Kentucky. Sally has been a social worker for the past 40 years and holds a wealth of knowledge about mental health, mental disorders, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of the community. She has received two lifetime achievement awards and one licensed clinical social worker of the year award. Sally has a passion for helping others achieve greater mental health and is a skilled professional. Throughout her experience as a clinical social worker and executive coach, Sally has learned how to help people through trauma and clearly define the role of an executive coach versus a mental health professional in the healing process. Sally offers valuable insight to the mental health field and gives executive coaches guidance on how to navigate current mental health issues faced by the community. About Carolynn Lee, LCSW Carolynn Lee is a licensed clinical social worker that is compassionate about helping others improve society one person at a time. She has extensive knowledge of, and experience with, social justice and systems affecting marginalized populations. She has a passion for developing and implementing programs to support those in need and utilizes a collaborative approach to build strategic partnerships with a variety of organizations, institutions, and professionals. She helps her clients by using therapeutic interventions rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy. She also serves as the Director of Victim Services and Amanda’s Center where she supervises the Victim Services Division of the Lexington-Fayette County, KY Sheriff’s office. Key highlights Today’s heightened state of stress Timestamp 04:04 Severin Sorensen starts the conversation by asking Sally and Carolynn about the rate of stress they are seeing today. They both agree that stress levels today are greater as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sally states that she is “seeing people that are stressed at a level that is unprecedented… people are experiencing greater levels of uncertainty and distress, and that is affecting the entire family in a variety of ways.” Carolynn echoes these findings and states that “I’m seeing very much the same. We’re seeing people who are living at such levels of stress that they are operating from a place of fear…” The stress levels and fears that people have today greatly affect anxiety levels and decision-making skills, which have the potential to snowball into a variety of other factors for those who are stressed. Tips for managing stress Timestamp 07:59 Sally and Carolynn offer several tips and habits to help reduce the effects that stress can have on the body and mind. Sally recommends keeping a journal and Carolynn recommends journaling things to be grateful for each day. Exercise, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, meditation, and positive intelligence are also discussed as ways to reduce stress. Self-care and mental health maintenance Timestamp 24:13 Carolynn offers insight into the importance of seeking professional help as needed. She states that “there are so many resources, really, truly, it just begins with a person making a decision that they’re ready for change.” Sally recommends that people monitor their “social media” intake because it can “be a source of depression.” She also shares insight from a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania regarding the effects of alcohol on the brain. Sally also references the importance of combating loneliness and isolation. She states that “it’s important to reach out and start to build a greater support system…we can explore activities that are more creative that can help to reduce some of the isolation that people are experiencing.” Severin adds insight into the American Psychological Association’s review of common unhealthy coping mechanisms and mental health. Relaxation exercises Timestamp 38:02 Severin asks Carolynn and Sally for their insight on relaxation exercises such as yoga, prayer, mediation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Sally shares her belief that “yoga is a very effective tool for stress relief.” She also shares advice for those facing feelings of depression like getting a “complete physical” and actively seeking “mental health services and finding a good counselor.” A letter from Lincoln on grief Timestamp 56:02 Sally introduces, and Severin reads thereafter, a historical letter from President Lincoln to the daughter of his long-time friend William McCullough regarding the loss of her husband. Severin reads this letter, which offers hope and insight into the process of grief. One line from this letter reads, “perfect relief is not possible, except with time, you could not now realize that you will ever feel better.” Referenced sources https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/march-2022-survival-mode. https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/covid-19-survivors-face-increased-mental-health-risks-up-to-a-year-later. If you are in crisis, get immediate help National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. (1-800-273-8255) for English, (1-888-628-9454) for Spanish, or LifeLine online chat available 24/7 across the U.S. at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/ TTY: 1-800-799-4889. Disaster Distress Helpline SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 press “2” for Spanish. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Substance Use/Addiction/Mental Health National Helpline and Treatment Referral Service Provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. 1-800-662-4357 or FindTreatment.gov Text your 5-digit ZIP Code to 435748 (HELP4U). Reply HELP to reach an information specialist. TTY 1-800-487-4889 (para español presiona el 2). The National Alliance for Mental Illness The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org, Text NAMI to 741-741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message, NAMI HelpLine Chat on NAMI.org More helplines (child abuse, violence, veteran support) are available here: https://www.cdc.gov/howrightnow/get-help/ Download the transcript Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1066: Dive into the Great Resignation, the importance of listening and staying “green and growing,” and the process of becoming a Master Certified Coach, with Rodica Obancea, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Master Certified Coach (MCC), Mentor Coach, Executive Coach, Team Coach, Leadership Coach, and Serial Entrepreneur. About Rodica Obancea Rodica Obancea is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Master Certified Coach (MCC), Mentor Coach, Executive Coach, Team Coach, Leadership Coach, and Serial Entrepreneur from Bucharest, Romania. Before entering the executive coaching industry, she was a Professor of Management at the CEFORA Business School and an H.R. Manager at a retail company. Rodica started her own coaching practice in 2008 and served as Vice President of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council in Romania a few years later. She was Vice President for 2 years before becoming the Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Architect for GreatHRs Community, an innovative projects platform with a mission to transform the Romanian labor market. In 2015, Rodica founded Liderologia and serves as their Senior Executive Coach today. More recently in 2020, Rodica founded Viitorul Meu, a support system that provides services designed to help candidates and employees set goals, maintain relevance in the employment market, and stay connected with opportunities. Rodica has a passion for creating the space needed to host meaningful conversations and implementing small changes that can produce incremental results. Key highlights Leading in the global village Timestamp 02:12 Rodica shares that, similar to the United States and other countries, the Great Resignation is a trend in Romania that business leaders are concerned with. She believes employees are “looking to be fulfilled as workers, as contributors in the labor market.” She also shares that digital nomadism is an increasing trend as well. Rodica believes that in this development, there might be a “lesson” in the importance of being “more flexible” and “accept diversity also in the form of the collaboration” because businesses are part of a “global village.” She states that it is her “perception that we need to learn to work on a global scale” that is not defined by geography. Communication, peace, and listening Timestamp 07:26 In response to Rodica’s perspective on the Great Resignation, Severin shares that “communication is something that helps peace” and that this is an opportunity to facilitate collaboration between individuals regardless of geography. Rodica adds that her role as a coach is to be “able to listen and to understand deeply” and that coaching is not about communication alone but also “listening and making space for other ideas.” Joy in the journey Timestamp 15:58 When asked about the more joyful part of working towards her MCC, Rodica shares that she greatly enjoyed challenging her own limits. She shares that as she developed her coaching skills, she had to challenge herself and open up to the potential for mistakes and new learning. Severin in response shares his own journey through training and experience as an executive coach. He explains that in his journey, he has found his “swim lanes” or areas of expertise, and that the journey of an executive coach who is learning and growing is a “rich time.” Seasons of change Timestamp 31:56 Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Rodica has noticed several changes in her team coaching. First, her team coaching has transitioned to remote settings. The second change is the increased focus on “reset.” She explains that her clients are often “pushing the reset button and rethinking the way they work as a team or redesigning the system in order to accommodate the environment they are in.” Lastly, there is an increased concern of how employers will retain their employees and how those looking for new jobs will develop their skill sets. Allowing yourself the experience Timestamp 42:05 For those interested in executive coaching, Rodica advises that they “allow [themselves] to experience” the marketplace “as much as it’s possible.” She recommends exploring and seeing “what’s there for you.” She explains that she gives herself the same advice when she sees a new opportunity stating, “I allow myself to experience it, to do it. It’s not for a lifetime. It doesn’t work, that’s fine, I will close it and move to something different, to something else.” When discussing her learnings from failure, she shares that after two years of working on a project, she realized it was not going to work. She learned that in stopping the wasting of resources, she felt a great relief. Severin shares a story of his own entrepreneurial experience and states the importance of “failing fast, failing cheap, and failing forward.” Download the transcript Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

The second core competency outlined by the International Coaching Federation is “embodies a coaching mindset” (ICF, n.d.). What is a “coaching mindset” and how can executive coaches ensure they are accurately embodying this characteristic? Continue reading to learn. “Mindset is your rudder in the boat of your life.” - Shan White What is the coaching mindset? The ICF defines a coach with an accurate coaching mindset as a coach who “develops and maintains a mindset that is open, curious, flexible and client-centered” (ICF, n.d.). They outline several characteristics of a coaching mindset: Acknowledges that clients are responsible for their own choices Engages in ongoing learning and development as a coach Develops an ongoing reflective practice to enhance one’s coaching Remains aware of, and open to, the influence of context and culture on self and others Uses awareness of self and one’s intuition to benefit clients Develops and maintains the ability to regulate one’s emotions Mentally and emotionally prepares for sessions Seeks help from outside sources when necessary (ICF, n.d.) There are three categories that these characteristics fall into as outlined by Mukul Dhawan of the ICF: self-awareness, self-development, and self-regulation (2021). To dive deeper into what the coaching mindset is, we address each of these categories below. “Awareness is a key ingredient in success. If you have it, teach it, if you lack it, seek it” - Michael B. Kitson Coaching mindset: awareness of self and others An essential part of the coaching mindset is having the awareness of self and others. For example, the ICF outlines in their core competencies that coaches with a “coaching mindset” remain “aware of and open to the influence of context and culture on self and others.” They are also aware of themselves and their own intuition (ICF, n.d.). Dhawan of the ICF also elaborates on this awareness and states that executive coaches should “be aware of how [their] own background may have influenced who [they] are as an individual” (2021). He also recommends that executive coaches should be aware of their “client’s culture and context” when coaching (Dhawan, 2021). Research has shown that being aware and mindful of one’s own emotions, and the emotions of others, can have a positive effect on leadership abilities. According to the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, self-awareness, can improve “leader effectiveness” and followers' “satisfaction” (Tekleab et al., 2007). “I come to practice every day with the mindset that I am there to get better.” - Caeleb Dressel Coaching mindset: dedication to self-development A key characteristic of a high-impact executive coach is the ability to stay green and growing. High impact executive coaches are aware of the ever-changing challenges their clients face and stay up-to-date on current research and trends regarding these challenges. The ICF states that coaches with the coaching mindset have “an ongoing reflective practice to enhance one’s coaching.” They are constantly developing their coaching skills to meet the changing needs of their clients. The ICF also states that executive coaches with a coaching mindset seek “help from outside sources when necessary.” This means that they are consistently looking for the latest data to provide their clients, and are not afraid of changing their concepts, understandings, or methodology as needed. Dhawan further outlines the self-development of an executive coach by stating that executive coaches who are focused on their self-development “identify opportunities to develop as a coach” so that they are “fit for the future,” have a “dedicated time” for reflection, and honor “coaching ethics by directing clients to other professional services as needed” (2021). Researchers from the University of California have discovered that “learning promotes brain health” and can help “limit the debilitating effects of aging on memory and the mind” (UCI, 2010). Furthermore, researcher Marjan Laal, discovered that lifelong learning can help individuals cope with the “fast-changing world,” increase income, and create an “enriching and fulfilling” life (2012). Research from Pew also echos these findings. They state that “those who see themselves as lifelong learners are younger, better educated and better off financially than others” (Horrigan, 2016). Consider the following insight from McKinsey Quarterly: “Learning itself is a skill. Unlocking the mindsets and skills to develop it can boost personal and professional lives and deliver a competitive edge” (Christensen et al., 2020). By taking the stance of a lifelong learner and committing to self-development, executive coaches can help their clients in a changing economy and improve their own wellbeing. “Self-regulation will always be a challenge, but if somebody’s going to be in charge, it might as well be me.” - Daniel Akst Coaching mindset: practicing self-regulation Self-regulation is the ability to monitor one’s own emotions and behaviors. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “self-regulation” as “the act or condition or an instance of regulating oneself or itself: such as… control or supervision from within instead of by an external authority [or] the bringing of oneself or itself into a state of order, method, or uniformity.” Self-regulation helps executive coaches bring themselves into the “method” or “state of order” required for successful executive coaching. For example, an executive coach exercises self-regulation by withholding their judgment towards their clients’ decisions or beliefs. Self-regulation is also involved by executive coaches when they refrain from consulting. For executive coaches with previous experience in their clients’ industry, it can be tempting to offer advice or experiential learnings to their clients. However, the best executive coaches only do this occasionally and with permission. Instead, they ask questions and practice self-regulation to help their clients reach their own unique solutions. Research has shown that when leaders increase their “self-regulation,” teams increase their “financial performance” and leaders increase their “effectiveness” (Yeow & Martin, 2013). When executive coaches embrace “self-regulation” they reduce the likelihood of “snap-judgments” made towards their clients, increase their leadership skills, and improve their evaluation skills (Gregg, 2020). The main takeaway The coaching mindset is an essential component of a great executive coach. By understanding what the coaching mindset is, the components that make up the coaching mindset, as well as the importance and research behind the coaching mindset, executive coaches can further improve their coaching practice and better help their clients. “Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.” - Steve Maraboli References Christensen, L., Gittleson, J., & Smith, M. (2021, November 17). The most fundamental skill: Intentional learning and the career advantage. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-most-fundamental-skill-intentional-learning-and-the-career-advantage. Dhawan, M. (2021, May 18). A Powerful ICF Core Competency: Embodies a Coaching Mindset. International Coaching Federation. https://coachingfederation.org/blog/embodies-a-coaching-mindset. Gregg, T. (2020, October 12). Why self-regulation is a core characteristic for any good leader. Anthony Gregg Partnership. https://www.anthonygregg.com/insights/why-self-regulation-is-a-core-characteristic-for-any-good-leader/. Horrigan, J. B. (2016, March 22). 1. The joy – and urgency – of learning. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/03/22/the-joy-and-urgency-of-learning/. ICF. (n.d.). The Gold Standard in Coaching | ICF - Core Competencies. International Coaching Federation. https://coachingfederation.org/core-competencies. Laal, M. (2012). Benefits of Lifelong Learning. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 4268–4272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.239. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Self-regulation. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 7, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-regulation. Tekleab, A. G., Sims, H. P., Yun, S., Tesluk, P. E., & Cox, J. (2007). Are We On the Same Page? Effects of Self-Awareness of Empowering and Transformational Leadership. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 14(3), 185–201. https://doi.org/10.1177/1071791907311069. UCI. (2010, March 2). Learning helps keep brain healthy. UCI News. https://news.uci.edu/2010/03/02/uc-irvine-news-release-learning-helps-keep-brain-healthy/. Yeow, J., & Martin, R. (2013). The role of self-regulation in developing leaders: A longitudinal field experiment. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(5), 625–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.04.004 Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1067: Award-winning Executive Coach and Founder of TEC in Eastern Canada, Peter Buchanan, shares his journey to executive coaching from former leadership and executive roles, his experience with Pat Hyndman, insight he gained from starting TEC in Eastern Canada, and his perspective on the metaphor of knowing what’s in our own waters before we focus on going to Mars. About Peter Buchanan Peter Buchanan is an award-winning Executive Coach, Founder of TEC in Eastern Canada, National Director of Chair Development at TEC Canada, and President of Management Transitions. Peter has practiced executive coaching for over 30 years with TEC Canada and was awarded the Chairman of the Year Award in 2008 and 2010. In 2014, he received the Don Cope Award, given to only one chair worldwide per year. Peter started his journey to executive coaching as the Senior Vice President of Extendicare Ltd. He then held several leadership and executive positions. At Royal Rhodes University, he designed and presented their original leadership residency for the MBA program. Today, Peter continues his executive coaching practice and support for helping business leaders in his role as President of Management Transitions. Peter has a passion for lifelong learning and helping others succeed in life and business. Key highlights The call to coaching Timestamp 04:22 When discussing Peter’s journey to executive coaching and founding TEC in Eastern Canada, Severin asks Peter, “Some people say that there’s a call to this type of thing. Have you felt that and what would that be?” Peter explains that one of his previous clients had joined TEC and said it was “the greatest thing.” Over a short period of time, Peter started to see beneficial changes in this client and his leadership. Peter states that he “could see his growth and development.” Eventually, his client introduced him to the owner of TEC Canada, Dr. Lynn Tanner. After meeting with Dr. Tanner, Peter began his involvement with TEC Canada. Peter shares that his call to coaching was that coaching fed his “sense of purpose.” He explains that “it was feeding… what I wanted to do with my life, and that was help other people… I’ve stayed with it ever since. “ Moving from “human doing to human being” Timestamp 13:09 In response to learning about a difficult season of learning in Peter’s life, Severin asks, “when was the point you recognized you moved from being a human doing to being a human being?” Peter shares that “it was probably after my life collapsed… My initial reaction to that was to blame everybody else for me… My journey of inward reflection and self-analysis really began then… I started to recognize that I had a big piece in all the challenges that I brought onto myself… I became a far better human being in the process.” Severin comments and states that these difficult seasons in life “are precious learnings” that build who “we are today.” Building TEC in Eastern Canada Timestamp 18:30 When starting his first TEC group in Eastern Canada, Peter learned from Pat Hyndman. Peter notes that Pat shared the importance of being in a peer group of 100 to 150 people and “stand[ing] by the door and collect[ing]” the audience’s business cards. Peter put this advice to use after a presentation by Pat and signed “the first 10 or 12 people” onto his TEC group. Today, Peter is the National Director of Chair Development with TEC in Eastern Canada. In this position, Peter helps TEC Chairs know “how to do the work” to launch their first peer groups, the power of “issue processing,” and the importance of asking questions rather than giving advice. To help others Timestamp 36:55 When asked what his “why” is, Peter shares that his “why” has changed with time. Early in his career, he wanted to “explore and express man’s connection to the whole.” However, today his “why” is “real simple.” His “why” is to “help others.” Peter explains that his best days as a coach are those when he feels that he “made a breakthrough” with a client and that they “went deeper in their self-knowledge.” A life of learning Timestamp 42:04 Peter Buchanan has a passion for living a life of learning. He shares that it is important to always be “exploring new areas and looking at new ideas and thinking about things.” This applies to learning outside of executive coaching and business as well. Peter shares that he and his son enjoy scuba diving, so he decided to take a marine biology course to learn more about the reefs he was seeing. In his coaching practice, he is also continually learning. He explains that in his coaching, he learns “so much about myself and about other people” as he listens to, and learns, from his members. Severin comments on how vast the ocean is and how there is still so much more to learn about the planet yet “as a society,” we are more focused on “going to Mars” when “we don’t even know what’s in our own waters.” He states that perhaps this is a metaphor for how “many of us want to look outward, but we don’t look inward.” Download the transcript Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership states that “the coaching process begins before coach and coachee meet.” With this perspective in mind, preparation is key for effective executive coaching. How do successful coaches prepare for their coaching sessions? What do they do before coaching sessions that makes their coaching so effective? What are habits executive coaches can develop to best serve their clients and coaching business? Continue reading for several preparation strategies that executive coaches can apply to increase coaching effectiveness and impact. “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” - Alexander Graham Bell #1: Identify your goals How do you want to feel during and after a coaching session? The Association for Coaching recommends that executive coaches establish how they want to feel during and at the end of their coaching sessions (n.d.). By doing so, executive coaches can further identify where they need to prepare for their coaching session. For example, executive coaches who want to feel knowledgeable or prepared in their executive coaching sessions can identify that they need to spend more time preparing for their executive coaching sessions. This identification of how you want to feel during your coaching session will guide you through the preparation process before your coaching session. What is the specific goal of the session? Carly Anderson, a member of the International Coaching Federation, states that identifying session goals helps executive coaches “know what the bigger picture goals are” (2017). This goal identification helps executive coaches target their sessions toward visible goals and not just generalized actions. Furthermore, this practice helps prioritize goals—an important element of successful executive coaching recommended by Dr. Kammy Haynes. She states that prioritizing goals will prevent executive coaches from overwhelming coachees with too many large goals at once. By giving executives bite-sized learning opportunities throughout their coaching sessions, executives feel more empowered to tackle their goals. Most importantly, having clear and identifiable goals helps stakeholders and executives better measure the success of your coaching (Anderson, 2017). “No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.” - Alan Watts #2: Be present Develop your anchor As an executive coach, having an anchor established before your coaching sessions can help you remain present. The Association for Coaching states that an anchor can “remind you of your goal” or goals (n.d.). This anchor can be as simple as a tactile reminder like a “way of squeezing your thumb and middle finger together.” It can also be an auditory cue such as a phrase you say or think to yourself. Lastly, an anchor can be a visual cue either in your imagination or from your physical environment (Association for Coaching, n.d.). An example of a coach using an anchor would be an executive coach having a particular sign on his office wall as an anchor that reminds him of his goal to ask more questions than giving advice. The Association for Coaching also recommends practicing using this anchor before your coaching session (n.d.). Developing an anchor as a small and subtle reminder of your goals can help you stay focused on your own goals as an executive coach, further helping you be present in your executive coaching sessions. Establish your intention to be present When discussing how she prepares for her executive coaching sessions, Carly Anderson states that she personally takes three deep breaths before her coaching sessions “in order to be fully present” (2017). Being fully present in your coaching sessions is essential for the success of your coaching practice. Siminovitch and Van Eron state that “Presence is a far more potent variable than tools and techniques, allowing the coach to respond to the moments of uncertainty with distinctive impact and transparency that inspires others” (2008). In their research, they also state that “the more skilled you are in checking in with yourself, the greater your ability to be at choice for determining how you want to respond to the identifiable options available to you” (2008). Their research supports the concept that being present “stimulates the shift of change” for the executive in the coach and client relationship (Siminovitch & Van Eron, 2008). “When we can identify a problem and face the problem with confidence and enthusiasm, the solution is on the way.” - Zig Ziglar #3: Identify what you know What do I know about my client? The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership states that in order to prepare for an executive coaching session, coaches must assess what they know about their clients. Doing so, challenges executive coaches’ assumptions about their client’s ability which could be false and negatively “impact the coaching relationship.” By having a clear and informed understanding of your client, you can be “aware of times during the conversation when the coach is demonstrating accurate self-awareness and times when they may be demonstrating that they have some blind spots about their practice” (AITSL, n.d.). This ability to accurately identify a client’s false self-awareness can greatly increase the effectiveness of executive coaching. What goals were established formally? Reviewing notes from previous sessions is vital to the success of proceeding coaching sessions. Without doing so, executive coaches can lose sight of the goals and strategies laid out in previous sessions. By reviewing notes from the former sessions you can identify where to offer additional assistance or support in upcoming sessions (Haynes, n.d.). This offers additional support to the goal attainment and goal planning of the executive coaching process. How are we measuring success? By re-identifying how success was measured in former executive coaching sessions, executives can ensure their clients are continually progressing towards their identified goals. Having a consistent way to measure goal attainment enables stakeholders, and the organizations that are paying for the executive coaching sessions, to see the measurable benefits of executive coaching (Anderson, 2017). Coaches who verify how they plan to measure coachee success are better able to communicate progress to stakeholders, verify the value, and support the longevity of their client-coach relationship. Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Steven Covey has published a highly popular book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Below we examine these 7 habits and how they support the executive coach in preparing for coaching sessions on a daily and habitual basis. #1: Be proactive “What distinguishes us as humans from all other animals is our inherent ability to examine our own character, to decide how to view ourselves and our situations, and to control our own effectiveness” (Hussai, 2021). Steven Covey calls this ability to “examine our own character” and make our own decisions, being “proactive.” Covey suggests that highly effective people are proactive, and that others can increase their effectiveness by intentionally focusing on the things one can control. For example, proactive people would say “I can control my feelings” and reactive people would say “they made me mad.” Executive coaches must coach from a place of non-judgment. Because of this, they must control their emotions and proactively choose to communicate non-judgmental behavior towards their clients. Furthermore, proactive coaches can evaluate their coaching strategies and proactively work to make their coaching practice better, instead of reactively disregarding subpar reviews or feedback. #2: Begin with the end in mind By beginning with the end goal in mind, you can create clearer goals and plans for your preferred success. These goals and plans can serve as roadmaps to your desired destination (Hussai, 2021). What would happen if an executive with no goals is helped by an executive coach? Without first identifying what goals are most important to the executive, coaching can become misdirected. Do you have an end goal in mind for your executive coaching sessions? What are your client’s end goals? What are your end goals for your coaching skills? Beginning with the end in mind can help coaches continually develop their coaching skills while also guiding their clients closer towards their own goals. #3: Putting first things first According to Steven Covey, “the challenge is not to manage time, but ourselves.” By prioritizing daily tasks into categories such as urgent/not urgent and important/not important, Covey states that we can focus on the most important tasks first: those that are important but not yet urgent. When focusing on things that are important but not yet urgent, you are “thinking ahead, working on the roots, and preventing” future crises (Hussai, 2021). If an executive coach spends all day before a coaching session putting out fires and working on urgent tasks, they are likely to feel drained mentally, emotionally, and physically. By identifying priorities and scheduling your day around the important but not urgent tasks, executive coaches can increase their mental energy for their clients. So ask yourself, “what are my priorities and how am I scheduling my day around them?” #4: Think win-win When working with others, highly effective people work towards win-win solutions that are beneficial to both themselves and the other party. Steven Covey states that this requires individuals to not only “be nice” but also be “courageous.” By looking at challenges through an “abundance mentality” or a perspective that believes there is a solution or benefit for everyone available, executive coaches can work towards win-win solutions that support themselves and others (Hussai, 2021). Habitually working towards win-win solutions helps prepare executive coaches for coaching sessions where their clients need guidance on conflict management within their company. #5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood The fifth ICF core competency is “active listening” or being able to “focus completely on what the client is saying and is not saying, to understand the meaning of what is said in the context of the client’s desires” (ICF, n.d.). Steve Covey’s fifth habit for highly effective people is similar: seek first to understand, then to be understood (Hussai, 2021). As executive coaches, it is vital that we actively listen to clients so that we can build our understanding of our client’s goals and challenges. Seeking to understand and listen first can also help coaches avoid the dangers of giving advice. The executive coach’s role is to ask powerful questions and lead executives towards greater understanding. This cannot be done without active listening. In order to ask powerful questions, a coach must fully understand their client’s perspective on their challenges or goals. By practicing this habit daily, executive coaches can more readily bring their listening and understanding skills to their coaching sessions. This ultimately helps them create more powerful questions and more insightful conversations. #6: Synergize To have a habit of synergizing means to have a habit of “understanding and valuing the differences in another person's perspective” and work collectively with that person to “create new alternatives and open new possibilities” (Hussai, 2021). When executive coaches practice a habit of synergizing or valuing others’ perspectives and differences, they are more able to listen to the perspective of their clients in coaching sessions. By further understanding and valuing their clients' perspective and positions about a challenge or goal, executive coaches can more easily embrace a stance of “non-judgment"—a part of the ICF’s core competencies—in their coaching sessions (ICF, n.d.). #7: Sharpen the saw Executive coaches take the stance of a lifelong learner, continually learning how to best help their clients as new research, data, challenges, and insights arise. This is similar to Steven Covey’s 7th habit of highly effective people: sharpen the saw. To have a habit of sharpening the saw is to have a habit of continually improving yourself, renewing your ‘edge,’ and developing your skill. There are four dimensions of sharpening the saw: physical, mental, emotional/social, and spiritual (Hussai, 2021). Executive coaches who continually examine these areas of their life, looking for dimensions that need to be ‘sharpened’, can better serve their clients because they are continuously learning new coaching strategies, growing their interpersonal skills, reducing their reactivity, and increasing their physical health as well. By being the best you can be, and continually working towards your next “best self,” executive coaches can better serve their clients. The main takeaway Successful executive coaches are prepared executive coaches. They ensure that goals are identified and continually pursued, are present for their clients, have an established wealth of knowledge about the client and previous coaching sessions, and track performance against measurement plans to gauge effectiveness. When executive coaches take time to prepare for each coaching session that comes their way, they are able to increase their effectiveness and impact on the lives of those they coach. “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” - Alan Lakein References AITSL Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (n.d.). How do I prepare as a coach? [PPT]. Anderson, C. (2017, December 08). Three Ways to Prepare for your Coaching Client Conversation. Retrieved from https://coachingfederation.org/blog/three-ways-to-prepare-for-your-coaching-client-conversation. Association for Coaching. (n.d.). The Top 5 Tips for Being Well Prepared – using the Circle of Excellence [PDF]. Haynes, K. (n.d.). Ten Tips for Improving Your Coaching Session. Hussain, A. (2021, June 10). 7 Habits of Highly Effective People [Summary & Takeaways]. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/habits-of-highly-effective-people-summary ICF. (n.d.). The Gold Standard in Coaching | ICF - Core Competencies. International Coaching Federation. https://coachingfederation.org/core-competencies. Siminovitch, D. E., & Van Eron, A. M. (2008). The Power of Presence and International Use of Self Coaching for Awareness Choice and Change. International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 6(3), 90-111. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

In a survey by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), “confidentiality” was revealed as a “key factor in every coaching engagement” (Mook & Turai-Petrauskiene, 2013). According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), a core competency of a skillful coach is their ability to “demonstrate ethical practice” and “maintain confidentiality with client information per stakeholder agreements and pertinent laws.” In this Insight article, we review what coaching with confidentiality means, how coaches can develop confidential coaching practices, and what the benefits of confidential coaching are. While we recommend consulting with your legal professional on matters of confidentiality, we do present the following information as general advice and insight. “In intelligence work, there are limits to the amount of information one can share. Confidentiality is essential” - Gijs de Vries What is coaching with confidentiality? Sue McMahon, chair of the ICF Ethics Independent Review Board, defines coaching confidentiality as “the coach’s duty to not disclose any information obtained during the course of the coaching relationship without the express permission of the client” (2018). She explains that coaching with confidentiality is the right of the client and the responsibility of the coach. It is also an obligation of the coach “to ensure that” the limits of coaching confidentiality are “clearly agreed upon in either a verbal or written agreement with the client and any sponsors” (McMahon, 2018). Sue’s statements are also supported by the Performance Coach University (Robbins, 2019). Although confidentiality is a responsibility of the coach, it is important to note that not all information shared in an executive coaching session can remain confidential. The Performance Coach University explains that the governing “court may compel a coach to disclose about a client or even share the details of their session. A coach also has a legal obligation to disclose information about a client to a third party in certain circumstances, such as when the client engages in illegal behavior or when they are a danger to themselves or a third party or even national security” (2019). Because of the impact that confidentiality can have on an individual, a company, and/or a coach, it is important for coaches to clearly outline what information will remain confidential, their response to legal disclosure requests from government agencies, and what information does not apply to confidentiality agreements such as information regarding illegal activity (HIll, 2017). Furthermore, the Global Code of Ethics of the EMCC, states that coach “members will have a clear agreement with clients and sponsors about the conditions under which confidentiality will not be maintained” (EMCC, 2016). “Confidentiality is an ancient and well-warranted social value.” - Kay Redfield Jamison Examples of poor coaching confidentiality Chair of the ICF Ethics IRB, Sue McMahon, shares the following examples of coaches who breached confidentiality. Example 1: Mis-use of personal information “Over a period of time, a client shared very intimate information with his coach about his life and his past relationships, including one with an ex-girlfriend who he had hoped to reconcile with. After several years of working with his coach, the coaching relationship ends abruptly. The client soon discovers that his coach has been having an affair with his ex-girlfriend, has fallen in love, and plans to marry. The client filed a complaint against his coach for allegedly disclosing intimate details of his life with the coach’s now-fiancée (client’s ex-girlfriend).” Example 2: Unauthorized disclosure “A client attempts to reach his coach on her cell phone, quickly realizing that the coach believed she had declined his call yet had inadvertently and unknowingly accepted the call. The client overheard his name being used in the context of dismissive and judgmental comments which included detailed information he had shared within the confidentially of the coaching relationship. The coach claimed her motivation to breach this confidentially was her attempt to gain insight on how to better support her client. “ Example 3: Failure to protect client contact information “A client filed a complaint against her coach, indicating that he was harassing her with cell phone texts of an inappropriate nature. The coach claimed someone had stolen his cell phone and it was not he who was sending the text messages. Although the coach denied any wrongdoing, he did nothing to deactivate the SIM card once he believed his phone was stolen.” “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.” - Unknown Example 4: Unintentional release of private information Unfortunately, an example of poor coaching confidentiality practice is the unintentional release of private information. In a coaching situation such as a one-to-one session or peer group meeting, coaches and peer group members can become familiar with coachee businesses and personal relationships. Because of this, it is important to have an understood contract between all of those in a coaching situation. This contract should establish the norms for the coaching situation and if confidentiality is the expected and contracted norm, then no amount of disclosure, even subtle inference, is tolerable. Having this agreement protects not only the coachee and the coach from the damages of private information becoming public, but it also protects the coachee’s business, peer group members, and all of those involved in executive coaching scenarios. Example 5: Trading or profiting from information learned in the coaching session Investopedia defines insider trading as a situation where an individual with insider knowledge trades in a public company's stock with the benefit of “non-public, material information about that stock for any reason” (Ganti et al., 2021). This is wrong and illegal. Yet, it is too frequent charges are brought to insiders of all types for trading on non-public information obtained in private settings, like a coaching session. Coaches would do well to place a firewall around their investment portfolio to NOT purchase, own, or trade any stock for a company they coach unless the stock is owned and managed by a third party in a Trust. Ways to incorporate coaching with confidentiality Considering example 3 from above, it is important for coaches to not only display confidentiality with their words and conversations but also with their record keeping. This is also indicated in the EMCC Global Code of Ethics. The Global Code of Ethics states that EMCC “members will keep, store and dispose of all data and records of their client work including digital files and communications, in a manner that ensures confidentiality, security, and privacy, and complies with all relevant laws and agreements that exist in their client’s country regarding data protection and privacy” (2016). The International Association for Coaching also states that coaches “are fundamentally prudent in the protection of the confidentiality rights of those with whom they work or consult” and that they “take logical precautions to protect client confidentiality in the event of the coach’s cessation of practice, incapacitation, or death” (IAC, 2011). Below are practical ways to improve coaching confidentiality practices. The following practices are meant only as suggestions, and we recommend that all coaches work with their legal advisors on fine-tuning confidentiality practices. “Pay attention to how people talk about other people to you in private. Because that’s exactly how they talk about you to others.” - Unknown Avoid name-dropping Sue McMahon, chair of the ICF Ethics Independent Review Board, recommends that coaches acknowledge where they might “be tempted to ‘name drop’ a recognizable client to gain credibility” (2018). In conversations with potential clients, it is important to avoid “name-dropping” unless permitted to do so. There is a proverb that states, “a gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much” (Proverbs 20:19, Old Testament). Name-dropping can portray an image of untrustworthiness or, at worst, gossip-like behaviors. Therefore, avoid name-dropping unless given permission, and when given permission be sure to share that you were allowed to disclose the information given. “The more systems we secure, the more secure we all are.” - Jeh Johnson Re-evaluate record keeping Confidentiality extends beyond the words coaches say and into how they keep records of their coaching sessions. According to Stephen O’Connor of Advanced Data Systems Corporation, “a paper record is easily exposed, letting anyone see it, transcribe details, make a copy or even scan or fax the information to a third party. In contrast, electronic records can be protected with robust encryption methods to keep crucial patient information secure from prying eyes” (2020). While many coaches take notes during coaching sessions to reference previous goals and note future ones, it is important to keep these notes confidential. Furthermore, O’Connor also points out that “paper records can be altered in a manner that can be difficult to detect” (2020). In episode #1011 of the Arete Coach Podcast, Barry Goldberg shares that one way he maintains confidentiality in his coaching is by keeping his coaching session notes “cryptic” and “encrypted.” He also ensures that they are removed from his system “automatically three months after the coaching engagement.” By re-evaluating record keeping, coaches can ensure the accuracy of their session notes as well as their confidentiality. “As a coach, I keep secrets for a living.” -Barry Goldberg, Arete Coach Podcast Episode #1011 Clearly communicate confidentiality standards The best way to avoid confidentiality breaches is by clearly identifying and communicating confidentiality standards with clients before coaching. By clearly communicating what can and will remain confidential, as well as what cannot remain confidential, trust can continue to be built between the client and the coach. The IAC recommends that confidentiality conversations start “at the beginning of the professional relationship… and from then on as necessary” (2011). Many executive coaches further protect their confidentiality standards by avoiding coaching business leaders that are competitors in the marketplace. For example, Barry Goldberg shared in episode Arete Coach Podcast episode #1011, “In my Vistage groups, not only do I not take competitors, I won't take people who are doing significant business with each other…” Why is confidentiality important? “Confidentiality is the essence of being trusted.” - Billy Graham Trust Research from The Journal of Institutional Economics has revealed that “contracts and trust complement one another” (McCannon et al., 2017). Furthermore, researchers Madireddy and Rufa state that “the practice of establishing a confidentiality agreement helps to build trust” (2021). Having a clear set of expectations and guidelines available to coaching clients regarding their guaranteed level of confidentiality, can help establish trust between a coach and a client. Furthermore, when that confidentiality is maintained, trust is also built. Increased learning and openness Trust is closely related to psychological safety. When clients learn that they can trust their coaches through defined and maintained confidentiality, they increase their feeling of psychological safety. According to Madireddy and Rufa, when students feel “psychologically safe, they are more likely to adopt behaviors that enhance learning, such as willingness to practice at the edge of their abilities, sharing their thought process, and discussing and learning from mistakes” (2021). These benefits also apply to the recipient of executive coaching. When clients feel psychologically safe, meaning that they can trust their coach and their coach’s claims to confidentiality, they are more likely to be open to discuss their challenges, thoughts, ideas, and goals. These benefits can offer a great return on investment for both the client and their business. Ethical behavior By coaching with confidentiality, you are coaching within the ethical guidelines of the ICF, IAC, and EMCC. Coaching with confidentiality shows that you care about the ethical guidelines associated with skillful coaching, that you take coaching seriously, that you conduct coaching in a professional matter, and that you want what is best for your clients and their businesses. This ethical confidentiality protects your clients and their businesses as well as your coaching career. The main takeaway Coaching with confidentiality is a key component of skillful executive coaching. Furthermore, coaching with confidentiality does not mean that all information shared is inherently confidential. For example, if a client shares information that is illegal or dangerous, confidentiality does not apply (Robbins, 2019). It is recommended that coaches establish the terms and conditions of their confidentiality at the start of a coaching relationship and that these terms and conditions are continually upheld by the coach (IAC, 2011). There are several ways that coaches can increase the confidentiality of their coaching sessions such as safe record-keeping and clear confidentiality agreements. Lastly, confidentiality creates trust which in turn increases openness and learning. “No virtue is more universally accepted as a test of good character than trustworthiness.” - Harry Emerson Fosdick References EMCC. (2016). Download the Code | Global Code of Ethics. European Mentoring & Coaching Council. https://www.globalcodeofethics.org/download-the-code/. Hill, M. (2017, December 22). Coaching & Mentoring Confidentiality. British School of Coaching. https://www.britishschoolofcoaching.com/coaching-mentoring-confidentiality/ Ganti, A., Anderson, S., & Rathburn, P. (2021, December 15). What Is Insider Trading? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/insidertrading.asp. IAC. (2011). Ethics. International Association of Coaching. https://certifiedcoach.org/about/ethics/. ICF. (n.d.). The Gold Standard in Coaching | ICF - Core Competencies. International Coaching Federation. https://coachingfederation.org/core-competencies. Jairek Robbins, J. (2019, June 5). Why is Confidentiality Important in Coaching? Become a Certified Performance Coach | Performance Coach University. https://www.performancecoachuniversity.com/why-is-confidentiality-important-in-coaching/. Madireddy S, Rufa EP. Maintaining Confidentiality and Psychological Safety in Medical Simulation. [Updated 2021 May 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559259/. McCannon, B. C., Asaad, C. T., & Wilson, M. (2017). Contracts and trust: complements or substitutes? Journal of Institutional Economics, 14(5), 811–832. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1744137417000522. Mook, M., & Turai-Petrauskiene, L. (2013). Is Everything Confidential in a Coaching. EMCC. https://www.emccouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/119.pdf. O’Connor, S. (2020, January 15). 5 Reasons Why Electronic Health Records are Better than Paper Records. Advanced Data Systems Corporation. https://www.adsc.com/blog/reasons-why-ehr-software-is-more-secure-than-paper-based-records#:%7E:text=Encryption%20Keeps%20Information%20Secure,information%20secure%20from%20prying%20eyes. Sue McMahon, S. (2018, February 28). Private and Confidential. International Coaching Federation. https://coachingfederation.org/blog/private-and-confidential#:%7E:text=Confidentiality%20refers%20to%20the%20coach’s,express%20permission%20of%20the%20client.&text=Remember%20that%20even%20with%20a,by%20you%20as%20the%20coach. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

News headlines have recently shifted attention to workplace age discrimination by the International Business Machines Corporation, also known as IBM (Clarey, 2022). The New York Times indicates that “top IBM executives were directly involved in discussions about the need to reduce the portion of older employees at the company, sometimes disparaging them with terms of art like ‘dinobabies’” (Scheiber, 2022). Research indicates that workplace age discrimination (also known as “ageism”) is still going on today (Harris, 2018; WHO, 2021). For example, a Los Angeles jury awarded T.J. Simer $15.4 million in damages against the Los Angeles Times due to discrimination based on age and disability (Gurchiek, 2019). Google has also found itself in hot water due to allegations that “the company exhibited preferential hiring toward job candidates under the age of 40” and ultimately paid $11 million for it (Gurchiek, 2019). But why is this still happening? What does the data say about ageism? What can business leaders do today to avoid the negative repercussions of ageism? “Ageism is as odious as racism and sexism.” - Claude Pepper What is ageism? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ageism is “the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age” (2021). According to the Law Commission of Ontario (LCO), Robert Butler was the first to coin the term “ageism.” Butler defines ageism as a “process of systematic stereotyping or discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish with skin colour and gender. Ageism allows the younger generations to see older people as different than themselves; thus they subtly cease to identify with their elders as human beings” (LCO, n.d.). Furthermore, the Law Commission of Ontario also states that ageism is “often ingrained and systemic” and that it can “inhibit people’s objectivity and subsequently influence decisions” (LCO, n.d.). Who does ageism affect? While the original definition of ageism is focused on older generations as seen in Butler’s definition, it can also apply to those in younger generation as well. The World Health Organization states that “ageism affects everyone” (2021). They also state that “ageism can change how we view ourselves, can erode solidarity between generations, can devalue or limit our ability to benefit from what younger and older populations can contribute” (WHO, 2021). In 2021, 50% of individuals were found to be ageist in a survey by the World Health Organization. This research also found that “younger people report more ageism” (WHO, 2021). Ultimately, while ageism affects older generations primarily, its consequences affect everyone worldwide. Statistics of interest “63% of those 45+ have been unemployed for longer than a year versus 52% of those 35–44 and 36% of those aged 18–34” (Mourshed et al., 2021) “Hiring managers hold negative perceptions of 45+ individuals, even though employers experience strong job performance from those whom they hire from this age group” (Mourshed et al., 2021) “The three characteristics most likely to hamper the success of 45+ individuals in the job market, hiring managers most often mention: reluctance to try new technologies, inability to learn new skills, and difficulty working with coworkers of a different generation” (Mourshed et al., 2021) “Employers rate 45+ hires as strongly as their younger peers in performance and in potential for retention” (Mourshed et al., 2021) “Unbiased recruiting practices are used by only 6% of employers” (OECD, 2020) “70% of employers report that they would likely implement or at least explore multigenerational workforce policies” (OECD, 2020) By 2024, almost 24.8% of the US workforce will be 55+ (Toossi & Torpey, 2017) Up to 14,183 charges on the basis of age discrimination were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2021 alone (EEOC, n.d.) Less than half of those who have experienced age discrimination reported it to the EEOC (Hiscox, 2019) 1 in 5 surveyed individuals state that they have faced age discrimination themselves (Hiscox, 2019) “Fifty-eight percent of Americans age 50 and older say older workers face discrimination in the workplace” (Young, 2019) More than 25% of surveyed individuals “feel there is some risk they could lose their current job because of age” (Hiscox, 2019) 36% of workers “feel their age has prevented them from getting a job since turning 40” (Hiscox, 2019) 43% of those served “left a company due to age discrimination experienced or witnessed” (Hiscox, 2019) “$810.4 million is the amount employers paid to settle age discrimination charges filed with the EEOC between 2010 and 2018, not including litigation.” (Hiscox, 2019) “We are always the same age inside.” - Gertrude Stein A note on research Current research on age diversity reveals mixed results in many regards. For example, research by Ellwart, Bündgens, and Rack indicates that the relationship between age diversity and “knowledge exchange” is complex and affected by “age-related diversity perceptions and positive diversity beliefs” of employees (2012). They specifically state that “Age diversity in teams will be a predominant characteristic of future workgroups. Although objective age diversity may affect team performance and identification, this study underlines the significant impact of individuals’ diversity perceptions and beliefs” (Ellwart et al., 2012). Other resources point to the impact of “social categorization” which is much like the saying: birds of a feather flock together. These resources claim that the homogeneity of socially categorized groups can result in “higher group performance” (HR Cloud, 2021). However, deductive reasoning implies that when groups are homogeneous, they do not have access to the variety of experiences and knowledge a heterogeneous group would have. Other researchers point out that the introduction of “age-inclusive HR systems seems to be beneficial for all organizations,” regardless of their current average age or rate of age diversity in their workplace (Boehm et al., 2013). How does ageism affect businesses Loss of information share When businesses act on ageist ideas, they ultimately disregard the knowledge and experience of older generations. According to Vantage Aging, “employers who do not provide opportunities for older workers lose valuable experience” (2021). Furthermore, The World Health Organization states that ageism can “erode solidarity between generations” (WHO, 2021). When businesses do not protect their workplace cultures from ageism, they decrease the influx of experiential knowledge from hiring new older-generation workers and decrease the flow of this information between young and old workers alike. “The youth can walk faster, but the elder knows the road.” - African Proverb Discrimination liabilities Not only does ageism prevent information sharing, but it is also illegal. According to the U.S Department of Labor, the “Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 of (ADEA) protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensations, or terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.” Furthermore the ADEA is also “enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission” (U.S. Dept. of Labor, n.d.). As seen in the examples discussed above, ageism can be extremely costly for employers with lawsuits. Damage to employer branding If it becomes evident that decisions and policies are based on ageist policies, employees' image of an employer can be damaged. Employees want employers who care and are empathetic. Consider the following statistic: “83% of Gen Z employees would choose an employer with a strong culture of empathy over an employer offering a slightly higher salary” (BusinessSolver, 2020). Employees, prospective employees, and customers care about the stance a corporation takes towards its employees. By allowing ageist ideas to impact the workplace, employers risk damaging their employer branding which can have negative consequences on their attraction of new employees and customers. Damage to employee wellbeing According to Medical News Today, “Ageism has a negative impact on physical and mental health, and reports link it with earlier death.” The World Health Organization estimates that ageism can reduce lifespan by “7.5 years,” reduce physical and mental health, reduce quality of life, and increase unhealthy behaviors such as “drinking excessively or smoking” (WHO, 2021). This damage to employee wellbeing, not only harms employees and the communities that they are involved in, but also has the potential to reduce productivity and employee retention. “Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” - Ola Joseph Benefits of age diversity While ageism has a variety of negative effects on the workplace, it has been reported that age diversity can have multiple benefits for the modern workplace. Improved productivity Age diversity can positively impact workplace productivity. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), firms with more older employees than average are more productive than those with below-average or an average number of older employees (2020). They also state that “the experience of older workers helps younger workers perform better, thereby boosting firm productivity directly and indirectly” (OECD, 2020). Increased resiliency The OECD predicts that age diversity can make businesses more resilient to “live events for certain age groups - like the birth of a child - or other health events or risks” (2020). For example, if your workforce is disproportionately young adults in their 20s, life events such as “the birth of a child” could pose issues. Furthermore, researchers Duchek, Raetze, and Scheuch state that, “diversity can help enhance organizational resilience” (2019). Decreased turnover The OECD also states that “turnover is 4% lower at firms that have a 10% higher share of workers aged 50 and over” (2020). Decreasing turnover rates is an increasingly important concern for those companies who are struggling to hire skilled workers during The Great Resignation. Nate Taylor explains this by stating in his article from People Partners, “According to recent studies, age diversity improves employee turnover as it is natural to older team members to display greater loyalty. In turn, this stability and consistency increase motivation across all staff, driving up the intent to stay with an organization companywide.” Researchers Ali and French have also indicated that “effective age diversity management can lead to” increased employee retention (2019). “Creating and managing a diverse workforce is a process, not a destination.” - Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. Applying age-diversity to the workplace Research from sources such as Ellwart, Bündgens, and Rack surface the importance of HR policies and procedures and how they can complement age diversity in the workplace (2012). Researchers Ali and French also state that an “organization's diversity perspective greatly influences its ability to capitalize on the benefits of” diversity programs (2013). Because of this, it is important for business leaders to carefully consider how they will implement age diversity into their organization, as it is key to reaping the benefits of age diversity. Below are several ideas and recommendations for employers looking to implement age-diversity programs within their workplace. Intergenerational interactions Research from the American Journal of Public Health indicates that “intergenerational contact showed the largest effects on attitudes towards the multigenerational workplace.” This finding was especially true for females and young adult groups (Burnes et al., 2019). The World Health Organization also supports these findings and states “intergenerational interventions are effective interventions for reducing ageism against older people, and are promising for reducing ageism against younger people” (WHO, 2021). The Society of Human Resource Management also advises that employers “[create] intergenerational or experienced-worker employee resource groups,” “[build] mixed-age teams,” and invite “retirees or experienced professionals from outside the organization to participate in specific initiatives or on a project-by-project basis” (SHRM, 2019). Policy and procedures Embracing age diversity is also supported by examining the policies and procedures used in hiring and recruitment (Janove, 2019). The World Health Organization states that “policy and law can address discrimination and inequality based on age and protect the human rights of everyone, everywhere” (WHO, 2021). The Society of Human Resource Management recommends “setting up a career re-entry program for people who have taken an extended leave from the workforce” and supporting “legislative reforms to strengthen legal protections for older workers” (SHRM, 2019). Educational activities According to the World Health Organization, “educational interventions include instruction that transmits information, knowledge, and skills, as well as activities to enhance empathy through role-playing, simulation, and virtual reality.” They also state that “interventions that combine education and intergenerational contact have a slightly larger effect on attitudes than intergenerational interventions used alone” (WHO, 2021). The Society of Human Resource Management also recommends conducting company-wide age-discrimination workshops (SHRM, 2019). Utilizing flexible work arrangements to welcome the older workforce According to Harvard Business Review, “about three-quarters of individuals approaching retirement have for some time said that they would like to keep working in some capacity, yet only about a quarter of them actually do” (Cappelli, 2014). In order to invite these workers into your workplace, there are several strategies that can be used. The Society of Human Resource Management, SHRM, explains that “mature workers often seek new challenges through second careers and look for work to fulfill personal goals that stretch beyond a salary and benefits. Flexible work arrangements allow mature workers to continue contributing on the job while also focusing on personal and family needs.” Some organizations such as CVS have “Snowbird” programs that allow employees “to change locations based on the seasons.” Other flexible work arrangements include “phased retirements, reduced hours, formal and informal temporary assignments for specific projects, job-sharing, telecommuting, seasonal work based on ebb and flow of organizational demands, flextime, and compressed work schedules (fewer days, longer hours each day) (Hitch & Kirkman, n.d.). Other flexible work arrangements include “hourly flexibility,” part-time and on-call employment, “hiring retirees as consultants or temporary workers,” “providing opportunities to transfer to jobs with reduced pay and responsibilities,” “project work,” and “alternative career tracks” (Roundtree, 2012). Consider the following types of workplace flexibility from Linda Roundtree: Other recommendations for creating a welcoming workforce include “acknowledging and using” older generations’ experience (Cappelli, 2014). Managers and leaders can treat more experienced employees “as partners” while still remaining “in charge” and responsible for “decisions” and “goals” (Cappelli, 2014). The Harvard Business Review also recommends paring older and young workers together because of their “similar interests” and decreased competitiveness due to different stages of life (Cappelli, 2014). Main takeaway The effects of ageism in the workplace have a variety of negative consequences on the workplace. By purposefully or accidentally reducing the age diversity in the workplace, business leaders miss out on the wealth of information afforded by multigenerational experiences, are at risk of illegal discrimination, damage their employer branding, and can reduce their employees’ wellbeing. However, when employers intentionally embrace age diversity in their workplaces through intentional hiring, human resource policies, and creating welcoming workplaces employers can improve productivity, decrease turnover, and increase resiliency in their workplaces. “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.” - Katherine Phillips References Ali, M., & French, E. (2019). Age diversity management and organisational outcomes: The role of diversity perspectives. Human Resource Management Journal, 29(2), 287–307. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12225. Boehm, S. A., Kunze, F., & Bruch, H. (2013). Spotlight on Age-Diversity Climate: The Impact of Age-Inclusive HR Practices on Firm-Level Outcomes. Personnel Psychology, 67(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12047. Burnes, D., Sheppard, C., Henderson, C. R., Wassel, M., Cope, R., Barber, C., & Pillemer, K. (2019). Interventions to Reduce Ageism Against Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 109(8), e1–e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2019.305123. Businessolver.com, Inc. (2020). State of Workplace Empathy | Executive Summary | Businessolver. Business Solver. https://info.businessolver.com/en-us/empathy-2020-exec-summary-ty?submissionGuid=964be9c3-2749-429c-a0db-0ffe1b71d464. Cappelli, P. (2014, November 22). Engaging Your Older Workers. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/11/engaging-your-older-workers. Clarey, K. (2022, February 18). IBM exec referred to older workers as “dinobabies,” suit says. HR Dive. https://www.hrdive.com/news/ibm-exec-referred-to-older-workers-as-dinobabies-suit-says/619046/?:%202022-02-22%20HR%20Dive%20%5Bissue:39901%5D. Demographic Change and Healthy Ageing. (2021, March 18). Global report on ageism. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240016866. Duchek, S., Raetze, S., & Scheuch, I. (2019). The role of diversity in organizational resilience: a theoretical framework. Business Research, 13(2), 387–423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-019-0084-8. EEOC. (n.d.). Charge Statistics (Charges filed with EEOC) FY 1997 Through FY 2020 | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charge-statistics-charges-filed-eeoc-fy-1997-through-fy-2020. Ellwart, T., Bündgens, S., & Rack, O. (2013). Managing knowledge exchange and identification in age diverse teams. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 28(7/8), 950–972. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp-06-2013-0181. Gurchiek, K. (2019, August 22). LA Times to Pay $15.4 Million in Age-Discrimination Case. Society of Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/la-times-to-pay-154-million-in-age-discrimination-case-.aspx. Harris, K., Krygsman, S., Waschenko, J., & Laliberte Rudman, D. (2018). Ageism and the Older Worker: A Scoping Review. The Gerontologist, 58(2), e1–e14. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw194. Hiscox. (2019). 2019 Hiscox Ageism in the Workplace Study. https://www.hiscox.com/documents/2019-Hiscox-Ageism-Workplace-Study.pdf. Hitch, C., & Kirkman, B. (n.d.). Engaging Older Workers Strategically. https://www.shrm.org/foundation/ourwork/initiatives/the-aging-workforce/Documents/Engaging%20Older%20Workers%20Strategically.pdf. HR Cloud. (2021, August 13). The Age Diversity in the Workplace: How does it impact results? | HR Cloud. https://www.hrcloud.com/blog/the-age-diversity-in-the-workplace-how-does-it-impact-results. Janove, J. (2019, March 30). How to Avoid Ageism. Society of Human Resource Management. https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/how-to-avoid-ageism.aspx. LCO. (n.d.). II. Ageism: Concepts and Theories. Law Commission of Ontario. https://www.lco-cdo.org/en/our-current-projects/a-framework-for-the-law-as-it-affects-older-adults/older-adults-funded-papers/ageism-and-the-law-emerging-concepts-and-practices-in-housing-and-health/ii-ageism-concepts-and-theories/. Mourshed, M., Jaffer, A., Cashman, H., Salazar Ruiz, K., & Sikes, J. (2021, July). Meeting the World’s Midcareer Moment. Generation. https://www.generation.org/midcareer OECD. (2020). Promoting an Age-Inclusive Workforce. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/employment/promoting-an-age-inclusive-workforce_59752153-en. Roundtree, Linda. “Flex strategies to attract, engage retain older workers”. Executive Case Report, Chestnut Hill, Mass.: Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/3389.https://dlib.bc.edu/islandora/object/bc-ir:100884. Scheiber, N. (2022, February 13). Making ‘Dinobabies’ Extinct: IBM’s Push for a Younger Work Force. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/business/economy/ibm-age-discrimination.html. SHRM. (2019, July 17). Checklist for Creating an Age-Inclusive Workforce. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/checklist-of-age-inclusion-.aspx?_ga=2.135118200.809543629.1566155604-920689375.1491920969. Taylor, N. (n.d.). Why Age Diversity is Good for Business. People Partners. https://www.peoplepartners.me/blog/age-diversity-is-good-for-business#:%7E:text=According%20to%20recent%20studies%2C%20age,stay%20with%20an%20organization%20companywide. Toossi, M., & Torpey, E. (2017, May 11). Older workers: Labor force trends and career options : Career Outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2017/article/older-workers.htm. U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). Age Discrimination | U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/discrimination/agedisc#:%7E:text=The%20Age%20Discrimination%20in%20Employment,conditions%20or%20privileges%20of%20employment. Vantage Aging. (2021, February 18). Ageism in the Workplace Affects Us All. https://vantageaging.org/blog/ageism-affects-us-all/#:%7E:text=If%20a%20business%20promotes%20ageism,chance%20for%20long%2Dterm%20success. WHO. (2021, March 18). Ageing: Ageism. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/ageing-ageism#:%7E:text=Ageism%20refers%20to%20the%20stereotypes,of%20their%20culture’s%20age%20stereotypes. Young, E. (2019, May 23). Most Older Americans Face Age Discrimination in the Workplace, New. . . Working Longer. https://workinglongerstudy.org/most-older-americans-face-age-discrimination-in-the-workplace%2c-new-survey-finds/ Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Previously on the Arete Coach Podcast, we examined what has been called “The Great Resignation” and the difficulty executives and CEOs nationwide are having in finding and keeping employees. In response to these challenges, many have suggested that employers focus on their “employer branding.” However, according to CareerArc’s employer branding study, of the 96% of companies that believe employer brand can impact revenue, only 44% of them monitor their employer brand’s impact on their revenue (David 2017). As executive coaches, it is vital that we stay abreast of the latest business challenges and responses leaders have towards these challenges—such as employer branding. By learning more about the importance, impact, and strategies of employer branding, we can lead our clients to research-based strategies that can help them face the great resignation with resilience. “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” - Jeff Bezos Defining the employer brand According to the Society of Human Resource Management, employer branding is “what the organization communicates as its identity to both potential and current employees.” At its core, employer branding communicates what it’s like to be an employee of an organization. Employer branding includes an organization's “mission, values, culture, and personality.” When organizations have a positive employer brand, they communicate that the organization is a good employer and a great place to work. Employer branding can be summarized as the reputation an organization has as an employer. This reputation is built on a multitude of factors. Shani Jay of the Academy to Innovate HR, explains that employer branding includes the “policies, programs, rewards, and benefits” offered to prospective and existing employees. Employer branding communicates to prospective employees, current employees, and the general marketplace the investment that an organization has in their employees’ wellbeing. Ultimately, employer branding “affects recruitment of new employees, retention and engagement of current employees, and the overall perception of the organization in the market” (SHRM, n.d.). “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett Benefits of employer branding Every corporation has employer branding whether it is intentional or not. Word-of-mouth reviews and posts from current and former employees on websites such as Glassdoor are one of the many ways potential employees, current employees, and customers can view an organization’s employer branding from the inside. The affect that websites like Glassdoor can have on employee sourcing is massive. Consider this insight from ePraxis, when sourcing employees for organizations with a “poor reputation” on websites like Glassdoor, the budget for sourcing employees triples in size (Sorensen, 2019). To combat this, employers can intentionally invest in positive employer branding in a variety of ways to avoid the negative consequences of a poor reputation. Some of the ways organizations can improve their employer branding are by communicating the care they have for their employees, the benefits they provide, the values of the organization, and the culture of their workplace. Investing in intentional and positive employer branding can have several benefits to the workplace and organization. “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” - Aristotle Increased job satisfaction and retention rates In August of 2021, the Asia Pacific Journal of Business Administration published a study titled “Unbundling employer branding, job satisfaction, organizational identification, and employee retention: a sequential mediation analysis.” In this study, Shubhangi Bharadwaj, Nawab Ali Khan, and Mohammad Yameen found several benefits that employer branding can have on employees. These benefits include higher retention rates, increased job satisfaction, and increased organizational identification (Bharadwaj et al., 2021). By investing in long-term employer branding strategies, companies increase their employees’ job satisfaction which ultimately reduces turnover and increases retention rates. This can help employers withstand the effects of the great resignation, increase the well-being of their current employees, and increase the retention rate of their current employees. Increased attraction of new employees Employer branding can also help organizations attract new employees. According to research by Software Advice, Glassdoor, a popular employer reviewing website, is used by almost 50% of individuals during their job search (Westfall, 2017). The majority of those using Glassdoor use it as a way to find “top employers” before sending in their applications to other employers. Because of this, if an organization’s employer branding on Glassdoor is sub-par or poor, they might avoid submitting a job application altogether. One-third of job applicants will not apply to a company if they received below a three-star rating on Glassdoor (Westfall, 2017). Research also supports the importance of employer branding when attracting new employees. Research published in the 2021 Sage Journal Social Marketing Quarterly, states that when organizations engage in corporate social marketing, or campaigns that display values to “public health, safety, the environment, or community wellbeing” (Lee, 2016) to improve employer branding, there was an increase in “employer awareness,” “employer attractiveness,” and employer differentiation from “competing organizations” (Saini et al., 2021). Their study also found that “students prefer employers who provide them opportunities to work for society and are even willing to accept a lower pay in such organizations.” Furthermore, they conclude that when investing in employer branding it is important for employers to showcase their values through corporate social marketing (Saini et al., 2021). “Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” - Simon Sinek Increased customer satisfaction Research suggests that when organizations have positive employer branding, their customers are happier. According to Vanamburg of ACSI Matters, every “one-star improvement in an organization's Glassdoor rating correlated to a 1.3-point (out of 100) increase in customer satisfaction scores” (Vanamburg, 2021). Ultimately, when employers have positive employer branding, employees and customers are happier. Other research has found that “64% of customers have stopped purchasing a brand after hearing news of that company’s poor employee treatment.” Furthermore, it was also discovered that “millennial employees were 30% more likely than Gen-Xers and 60% more likely than Baby Boomers to stop purchasing or promoting an employer’s products due to poor employee experience” (David, 2017). Statistically, today’s millennial generation cares more about employee treatment than prior generations. Research from the Journal of Corporate Finance also suggests that having positive workplace cultures, a common result of employer branding is correlated with an increase in company performance or profit (Huang, 2015). By communicating organizational values and employee experience via employer branding, business leaders can prevent losing pre-existing brand loyalty due to unintentional and negative employer branding. Increased employee productivity In a 2017 article from the Journal of Transnational Management, research revealed that “organizations with an advanced employer branding strategy have greater productivity than those organizations who lack or have partially developed strategy” (Aldousari et al., 2017). By having a clearly defined and developed employer branding strategy, employers fostered greater productivity in their companies. Increasing employee productivity is a valuable way to increase corporate output without additional input of products or labor according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to Northern Ireland Business Info, “businesses that operate efficiently are more likely to grow, enter new markets or maximize their profits.” By investing in employer branding employers can increase their employees’ efficiency, ultimately increasing their organization's profitability. “Effective questioning brings insights, which fuels curiosity, which cultivates wisdom.” - Chip R. Bell Strategies for employer branding There are several strategies to consider when looking to improve an organization’s employer branding. Consider the following insights and recommendations for developing a positive employer branding strategy. Identify values In order to establish a positive employer brand, the values and ethics of a business must be considered first. These values outline the message that employers want to get across to potential employees and customers. These values and ethics are also called EVP: Employer Value Propositions. Your EVP “is what differentiates you from your competitors, and what ultimately attracts talent to your company” (Smarp, 2021). According to Leftronic, only 61% of companies have a “well-developed EVP” and only 44% of CEOs are aware that EVPs are even used in their company’s strategic policy (M., 2020). What are your company’s mission statement, ethics, and moral values? Do your customers and potential employees know this? Does your CEO, or do you, know your EVP? Analyze your current employer branding Whether intentional or not, each company has its own employer branding. To improve your branding strategy, a baseline of current branding should be assessed for areas of improvement and areas of excellence. Doing this involves examining your current employer branding outlets. Consider Glassdoor, an employer review website used by almost half of all job seekers (Westfall, 2017). Employees can also leave reviews of their employment experiences on websites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Vault, CareerBliss, Kununu, JobAdvisor, RateMyEmployer, TheJobCrowd, FairygodBoss, Ivy Exec, Comparably, and Yelp (FairygodBoss, n.d.). Each of these websites is a source of employer branding for potential job candidates. It is important to review your company's standing on these websites and examine if the reviews, comments, and rankings comply with your corporation’s values. What does your business need? “To get the most out of your employer branding initiatives,” it is important to know what your company needs (Smarp, 2021). Does your company need more HR or management employees? What challenges are your recruiters and hiring managers facing that can be assisted by employer branding? Identifying your business’ needs can include “identifying target groups” or those groups of individuals that you need to hire (Peyron, 2013). Once your needs have been identified, research those needs. If your business needs more engineers, research the best ways to get in contact with this group, “what is important to them when it comes to their careers,” their social media habits, and where they “search for jobs” (Smarp, 2021). Choose your channels Where will you invest your employer branding strategy? Using the information found when researching your target audience and the needs of your business, business leaders can choose the most appropriate channels for their employer branding strategies. For example, if a business needs graphic design employees, and research shows that those in graphic design primarily use Instagram for their social media, it would be more valuable to place ads on Instagram versus Facebook. Additionally, you can choose to focus on specific websites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc. based on your company's needs and the results of research about your target audiences. Does your target audience or demographic use Glassdoor more commonly than LinkedIn? If so, you can focus your employer branding strategy on Glassdoor versus LinkedIn. Once you choose the channels of employer branding you want to invest in, consider what steps need to be taken for each of these platforms. Some online websites have “employer profiles.” Denver Freeman of Vanderhouwen Staffing recommends that employers should add photos, company details, state a company’s mission, show what it looks like to work there, showcase benefits packages, and share development opportunities (2018). He also recommends encouraging current employees to share their experiences, “testimonials,” and “stories that highlight” your workplace culture values and standards (Freeman, 2018). Doing so can make your employer's brand stand out to potential employees and customers alike. Furthermore, using these channels as a source of information about the state of your workplace culture via employee reviews can be a great source of insight regarding areas of improvement. Create, execute, analyze, and revise Create a strategic response to your employer branding needs and goals. Planning what yearly, monthly, and even weekly activities need to be do done to improve employer branding can help an organization and all those involved work collectively towards their long-term goals (Peyron, 2013). After creating and executing a strategic plan for employer branding, it is important to analyze the success of your efforts. Companies can analyze the success of their employer branding strategy by examining relative KPIs such as the number of new job applications, attrition rates, and employee/customer survey results. By analyzing the success of your employer branding strategy and modifying it as needed, companies can improve their workplaces and get “the highest possible ROIs” from their employer branding (Smarp, 2021). Powerful questions for the executive As discussed above, employer branding has several key benefits that are particularly poignant in today’s turbulent marketplace. When discussing the challenges brought by the great resignation and increased difficulty in finding new employees, executive coaches can use the research articles and information discussed above as valuable insight and discussion starters. Furthermore, questions can also be pulled from the discussed benefits of employee branding. Consider the following questions below: How do your employees view their employers, managers, and organization as a whole? How do you know this? How do your customers view your employment practices? How might this impact your organization? What is your employer brand? How are you communicating it to potential employees, current employees, and customers? If you had to define your employer brand in one word, what would it be? How does your organization act on its values when it comes to employee management? What are your own values? Does your employer brand reflect this? The main takeaway Employer branding is an effective way to increase job satisfaction, increase retention rates, attract new employees, increase customer satisfaction, and increase employee productivity. By knowing the research and data behind employer branding and strategies for improving employer branding, executive coaches can better communicate the importance of employer branding to their clients who are currently facing the challenges of the great resignation. This research and data can help executives brainstorm and discuss solutions to their hiring and retention challenges. By understanding the effects of employer branding and how to implement employer branding strategies, executive coaches can best lead their clients through the great resignation and towards healthier more profitable businesses. “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” - Jeff Bezos For further information, check out, “Does Your Glassdoor Need Cleaning” with helpful suggestions on how to legally raise your Glassdoor score. References Aldousari, A. A., Robertson, A., Yajid, M. S. A., & Ahmed, Z. U. (2017). Impact of employer branding on organization’s performance. Journal of Transnational Management, 22(3), 153–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2017.1335125. Bharadwaj, S., Khan, N. A., & Yameen, M. (2021). Unbundling employer branding, job satisfaction, organizational identification and employee retention: a sequential mediation analysis. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, of. https://doi.org/10.1108/apjba-08-2020-0279. David, T. (2017, November 13). 29 Surprising Stats on Employer Branding – Infographic. CareerArc. https://www.careerarc.com/blog/employer-branding-study-infographic/. FairygodBoss. (n.d.). 11 Sites Where You Can Find Employee Reviews (Besides Fairygodboss). https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/employer-review-sites-employee-reviews#. Freeman, D. (2018, April 12). How to Optimize Your Employer Glassdoor Page. VanderHouwen. https://www.vanderhouwen.com/optimize-employer-glassdoor-page/. Huang, M., Li, P., Meschke, F., & Guthrie, J. P. (2015). Family firms, employee satisfaction, and corporate performance. Journal of Corporate Finance, 34, 108–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2015.08.002. Jay, S. (n.d.). How to Build a Successful Employer Branding Strategy for Your Organization. AIHR. https://www.aihr.com/blog/employer-branding-strategy/. Lee, N. R. (2016). Corporate Social Marketing. Social Marketing Quarterly, 22(4), 340–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524500416672550. Marko, M. (2020, July 30). 15 Intriguing Employer Branding Statistics. 15 Intriguing Employer Branding Statistics. https://leftronic.com/blog/employer-branding-statistics/. Northern Ireland Business Info. (n.d.). Increase efficiency to maximise your profit | nibusinessinfo.co.uk. https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/increase-efficiency-maximise-your-profit. Peyron, C. (2013, February 6). 9 Steps to a Successful Employer Branding Strategy. ERE Recruiting Intelligence. https://www.ere.net/9-steps-to-a-successful-employer-branding-strategy/. Saini, A., Saini, G. K., & Kumar, S. (2021). Role of Corporate Social Marketing Campaigns in Employer Branding: A Study of Campus Engagement Initiatives. Social Marketing Quarterly, 27(4), 324–346. https://doi.org/10.1177/15245004211053858. SHRM. (n.d.). What is an employer brand, and how can we develop an employment branding strategy? https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/cms_023007.aspx. Smarp. (2021, January 12). Employer Branding: 9 Steps to Build a Successful Strategy. https://blog.smarp.com/employer-branding-9-steps-to-build-successful-strategy. Sorensen, S. (2019, February 10). Does Your Glassdoor Need Cleaning? 7 Suggestions for Managing and Improving your Company Reputation. ePraxis. https://www.epraxis.com/post/does-your-glassdoor-need-cleaning-7-suggestions-for-managing-and-improving-your-company-reputation. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Why is Productivity Important? https://www.bls.gov/k12/productivity-101/content/why-is-productivity-important/home.htm. Vanamburg, D. (2021, June 2). If your employees aren’t happy, how can you expect your customers to be? ACSI Matters. https://www.acsimatters.com/2021/06/02/if-your-employees-arent-happy-how-can-you-expect-your-customers-to-be/. Westfall, B. (2017, April 14). How Job Seekers Use Glassdoor Reviews. Top Business Software Resources for Buyers - 2021 | Software Advice. https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/job-seekers-use-glassdoor-reviews/. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1071: Explore emotional fortitude, the value of silence, and the difference between consulting and coaching with Jason Thompson, an Executive Coach, Vistage Chair, Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Axíes Group. During the discussion we get a glimpse into Jason’s experience co-authoring his book, his Balanced Organization Assessment, and his childhood entrepreneurial mindset where he would, at times, work for the fresh tomato when the experience was pay enough. About Jason Thompson Jason Thompson is an Executive Coach, Vistage Chair, Mentor, Author, Speaker, and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Axíes Group. As Managing Partner for Axíes Group, Jason provides perspective from his 30 years of experience as a corporate executive and consultant. Jason has advised numerous Fortune 500, middle market, and startup companies across many industries throughout the United States. Jason helps leaders transform the way they see themselves and the organizations and people they serve. In 2021, Jason and his business partner, Bill Leider, became best-selling authors with their book, Mastering Your Balance. Key highlights The Balanced Organization Assessment Timestamp 06:23 Jason Thompson is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Axíes Group, a firm that offers the Balanced Organization Assessment. This assessment allows “organizations to identify their blind spots related to” Axies’ “six elements of balance.” These six elements are vision, values, driven leadership, culture, strategy, and greater purpose. Jason uses this assessment across three layers of companies: executives, managers, and producers. The Balanced Organization Assessment identifies the areas of balance that need greater investment in organizations. By investing in these areas, businesses can increase their “pace of change” and improve their businesses faster. Along with this assessment, Jason has co-authored the best-selling book Mastering Your Balance. Jason explains that this book is a “deeper insight” into the Balanced Organization Assessment and is “full of powerful stories and experiences” from helping clients achieve their balance. Emotional fortitude Timestamp 20:02 When asked if he has a personal mantra or rule that guides him throughout his life, Jason shares his learning about emotional fortitude. He explains that emotional fortitude is made of self-awareness, self-mastery, humility, and authenticity. Jason states that “the key there is humility because I don’t think you would engage in looking at that if you didn’t believe.” Silence as a superpower Timestamp 24:36 When discussing what powerful questions Jason uses in his coaching, Jason shares that after asking a question “you got to let silence be your superpower.” Jason explains that early in his coaching, he would be uncomfortable with the silence and jump in for a solution. However, today he values the power of silence and states, “...just allow the silence, it’ll get you where you need to go. Just don’t short-change you or your client by jumping in.” Making the time Timestamp 40:30 After discussing a book that has had a great impact on Jason, Severin asks what Jason’s takeaways were from his neuroscience for business studies at MIT. Jason shares that in his studies, he has learned that “you can teach old dogs new tricks by creating new neural pathways.” He explains that in order to do this, it is important to invest in your health. This includes getting plenty of sleep and water, having a good diet, exercising, and controlling cortisol levels. Jason also recommends mindfulness activities to help cope with challenges and change. According to Jason, “the rate of pace and change, isn’t going to slow down. So we need to learn to embrace and change the way that we view that.” Download the transcript Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript. Copyright © 2022 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.